Sunset Tavern

5433 Ballard Ave. N.W. / 21+

4:30 p.m. / Kinski Kinski has no need for the conventional wisdom about how a great American heavy-rock band should conduct themselves. On one hand, they drop crazy, earth-shaking riffs and sheets of noise for their bosses at Sub Pop. On the other, they are—as guitarist Chris Martin recently explained to us—writing soundtracks for art installations and scoring music for dance pieces. But for REVERB, Martin says, "I think we're going to do a deep drone and a heavy-noise thing, maybe with a song or two thrown in." It's all deadly. 5:30 p.m. / Idle Times Don't let the boys in Idle Times fool you: They may front like some skanky, gas-huffing degenerates, but their glorious garage jams are as tasty and melodic as they come. It's true that they bury those melodies beneath copious levels of fuzz that's as thick as campfire syrup. But get them singing about "Gin and Death" and they'll never cease to entertain. Listen for their new record on Chicago's Hozac records on Oct. 26. CK 6:30 p.m. / The Absolute Monarchs! The Absolute Monarchs! sound like they just got out of a sex sandwich with Seattle sexies Past Lives and Unnatural Helpers. On "Sharp," the opening track off the band's self-titled spring EP, vocalist Joel Schneider howls to the point of exhaustion without letting his guard down. Keeping it sharp, clean, and neatly deranged is the Monarchs!' specialty. 7:30 p.m. / Low Hums Every time Low Hums takes the stage, the band comes just a little bit more into focus. That may seem odd for a band that bathes in psychedelia, relishes loose song structures, and never met a patch of empty space it felt overtly compelled to fill. But while other rock-and-roll freedom fighters have taken heartbreaking plunges off Mt. Self-Indulgence, Low Hums seems dead set on exploring their love for dissonance and penchant for patient jams until they find a place where the hipster and the hippies can both get their rocks off. 8:30 p.m. / Virgin Even more indebted to '70s arena rock than The Hold Steady, Virgin takes the low road, laying out easy-riders for heshers. If your Steppenwolf and Big Star records are getting a little worn, or you're getting tired of slogging to the casino with the blue-hairs to get your live fix, you could do worse than giving Virgin a call. 9:30 p.m. / Feral Children Dudes, polish your resumes. You've got a job interview. The job's not open, but you'd be perfect for it. See, there's this lady about the scene who will not be named (Neko Case) who's hit a soft spot, and needs digging out of it. Surely your manic beats, tribal wails, and dueling drummers will remind her what it's like to work with a pack of rabid wolves. Hey, if she never comes a-callin', you've got plenty to fall back on. 10:30 p.m. / Whalebones If you've been to a Whalebones show since that moniker was revived earlier this year, you know that Justin Deary has amassed a new, inspired lineup and has cranked up the intensity just a tad. Psychedelic folk this may be, but get too close and you may get your face caved in. For those of you steering clear of the clubs, drummer Faustine Hudson (who's also DJing at 1 a.m. at the Ballard Loft) tells us Whalebones 2.0 is mixing a new record that should be ready in time for spring. Says Hudson: "It is going to take your tequila-sippin' self and make ya wanna shake ur arse." 11:30 p.m. / Lisa Dank Known as much for her colorfully choreographed and flagrantly sexual performances as for her danceable, hook-laden, insinuating catalogue, Lisa Dank manages to maintain the high gloss of a pop star while staying true to the Northwest's DIY aesthetic. In a city historically known for rock 'n' roll and fixated on hip-hop, making pop music isn't exactly the style du jour—but channeling Madonna, Dank could care less. She's going to do what she wants, damn it, and you're just going to have to sit back and enjoy it. NF 12:30 a.m. / Helladope Riding smoothly atop spacey and soulful instrumentals, Helladope's funk-laden, Southern rap–influenced sound is the result of a South End collaboration between mike veteran Jerm and up-and-coming producer/MC Tay Sean. Alternately danceable and searing, their energetic self-titled debut hosts accessible material that impressively balances the rawness of Tay Sean's energy with Jerm's seasoned flow. And after sharing stages with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Goodie Mob, Helladope knows they can hold their own. NF